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Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill

I invite the Minister to comment on the good point that my right hon. Friend makes. Although I listened to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith with great care, I do not think that he spoke at any length about the possible cost of some of his proposals. We must be cognisant of that, especially in the light of their lordships’ guidance on properly taking account of costs and being upfront and frank with the public about the options and difficult choices that must be made. Several hon. Members, including my hon. Friend the Member for Braintree and the hon. Member for Bury, North (Mr. Chaytor), who is no longer in the Chamber, mentioned the policies of their local authorities. The Bill would put a duty on such authorities to set a local target regime. The Bill’s long title refers to the ““alleviation of fuel poverty””, but I wonder whether an unintended consequence of the Bill might be to worsen fuel poverty. I think I am right in saying that the hon. Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith confirmed that the Bill would put several duties on local authorities that would result in some cost. I am sure that my right hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst will agree that we receive many letters from our constituents about the burden of council tax, which falls especially heavily on pensioners, who obviously make up one of the groups of people most affected by fuel poverty.